George Washington Carver (1864–1943)

Throughout his life, Carver maintained that “the master analyst needs no book; he is at liberty to take apart and put together substances, compatible or non compatible to suit his own particular taste or fancy.” Nevertheless, his reliance on divine revelation instead of scientific methods often put him at odds with the scientific community.

George Washington Carver, Gene Adair, p. 80

The public liked many things about Carver. His theatrical flair, his sense of humor and sincerity, and his ability to explain his subject in simple but vivid terms were keys to his success with lecture audiences. His deep religious faith was also important. In his speeches and interviews, he almost always referred to the Bible and divine guidance. His accomplishments, he was fond of saying, were not his doing but were the work of God. As he told a reporter for the Atlanta Journal who questioned him about the permanency of the clay paints he had developed: “Why should they not be permanent? God made the clay in the hills; they have been there for countless generations, changeless. All I do is prepare what God has made, for uses to which man can put it. It is God's work-not mine.”

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